This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in toy game apparatus and methods of playing the same and, more particularly, to such toy game apparatus and method which includes a playing surface of configuration such that a playing piece can move toward a goal area in an arcuate path and enter the goal area from any point around the entire periphery of the goal area and from any direction if positive repelling action of the playing piece is not performed by a player.
There are a large number of commercially available games where a pair of opposed goal areas are formed in a game board and which goal areas are defended by a movable striker member. For example, there are several forms of simulated hockey games where a striker member, representative of a goalie, is capable of moving in front of a goal area in order to defend the goal area. This goalie, or striker member, includes a paddle-like device which is capable of engaging the playing piece to repel the same when the playing piece is moved toward the particular goal area.
In some of these commercially available game devices, the game board is inclined toward the goal areas so that if one player does not take any positive action to repel the playing piece moving toward his goal area, the playing piece will automatically enter the goal area. In many of these game devices, the goal was open only on one side, as for example, the front of the goal facing the center of the game board was open to receive a playing piece. The striker member was therefore only movable laterally or pivoted about a fixed axis in front of the open side of the goal area. Thus, for example, the playing piece could travel around to the back side of the goal area, but could not enter the goal area from such position, so that it was only necessary to defend the goal area from the limited open area.
In view of these game designs, a large degree of skill was not required to play the game due to the fact that each player was only required to defend his goal area from one side. In addition, the amount of strategy which could be used in the playing of the game was also limited since the playing piece could only approach the goal areas from a limited number of directions.
The present invention obviates these and other problems in the provision of a game apparatus which includes a playing board having a pair of opposed recessed goal areas in the game board. The board is of complex curvature such that the goal areas are located at low points in the game board, and the portions of the game board surrounding the goal areas converge downwardly and inwardly into the goal areas. In addition, the portions surrounding the goal areas are essentially conical in shape so that the playing piece can move downwardly toward the goal areas through arcuate paths surrounding the goal areas and can enter the goal areas from any point on the entire periphery of the goal areas and from any direction unless positive repelling action is taken by a defending player.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a toy game apparatus constructed in such manner that a playing piece can move into one or another of a pair of goal areas from any point around the entire periphery of each of the goal areas and from any direction unless the defending player takes positive action to propel the playing piece away from the goal area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a toy game apparatus of the type stated which includes a playing board of complex curvature and with goal areas located in recessed portions of the game board.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toy game apparatus of the type stated in which a playing piece may move through an arcuate path toward its entry into a goal area.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a toy game apparatus of the type stated which is designed so that skill and strategy must be used by the players in the playing of the game.
It is another salient object of the present invention to provide a toy game apparatus of the type stated which is of rigid and durable construction.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of playing a toy game in which the players must take positive action to defend their own goal areas to prevent a playing piece from entering a goal area from any point on the entire periphery of the goal area and from any direction.
With the above and other objects in view, our invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.